WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement applauding the effort by Health and Human Services to get nearly 20 million doses of vaccines to states in four weeks. Florida will have been allocated 1.28 million doses of the vaccines by the end of next week. 175,000 Floridians received the first dose of the vaccine as of December 30, as reported by the Florida Department of Health.

In November, Senator Scott wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar requesting information on the states’ plans for fast, reliable and equitable vaccine distribution. Detailed planning and coordination at every level of government will be required to get the vaccine to Americans safely and efficiently without unnecessary delays. 

Senator Rick Scott said, “I’m proud of the hard work by so many in the Administration to develop and quickly distribute this vaccine to the states. HHS has sent our states millions of doses of vaccines this month. The priority now must be to make sure the elderly and at-risk populations, as well as our healthcare workers, have access to the vaccine first. That’s why my staff and I made the decision to wait to get the vaccine at the appropriate time, and I’ve asked that my office’s allotment be given to vulnerable populations that need the vaccine most. We aren’t successful until everyone who wants a vaccine can get one. Every state needs an orderly, transparent process for getting these vaccines out, and they need to do it now. There is no excuse.”